REVERSE ENGINEERING

THE ENGINEERING CAMPUS AS CATALYST

Design Team:
Elizabeth Barr - Landscape Architecture
Sarah Grajdura - Environmental Economics
Tianyu He - Civil Engineering
Xinnan Jiang - Landscape Architecture
Min Kang - Landscape Architecture
Fernanda Maciel - Civil Engineering
Meri Mensa - Architecture
Samantha Shui - Landscape Architecture
Pongsakorn Suppakittpaisarn - Landscape Architecture
John Whalen - Landscape Architecture
Shurui Zhang - Landscape Architecture
David Zhang - Landscape Architecture

Faculty Advisor:
Tawab Hlimi - Landscape Architecture

Design Critics:
Eliana Brown - Water Resources Outreach Specialist
Mary Pat Mattson - Landscape Architecture
David Hays - Landscape Architecture
Elen Deming - Landscape Architecture
PROJECT ABSTRACT
EDGE ENGINEERING
The Boneyard Creek drains an urbanized watershed
of approximately 7.45 sq. miles including the campus
of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Over several decades, multiple detention ponds have
been constructed upstream from the University, and
despite eliminating recurrent flooding, the problem
of poor water quality persists. The creek receives its
base flow from both urban and agricultural areas
producing runoff laden with nutrients, sediment,
heavy metals, and other pollutants. Because of
this, the Boneyard Creek makes the EPA’s 303d list
of impaired waterways, however, with a University
goal of carbon neutrality by 2020 in accordance
with the Illinois Climate Action Plan, coupled with
aging subsurface infrastructure as well as a cultural
paradigm shift from campus landscape as turf to
a classroom extension, there exists an economic,
ecological, and educational argument for green
infrastructure.
Extending the current network of green infrastructure
over the existing subsurface network would develop a
hybrid management system. This method would lower
construction and life-cycle costs while providing eco-
system services such as groundwater recharge through
infiltration and water quality control. Additionally,
infiltration would stabilize base flow, bio-infiltration
would reduce BOD, and a reduction in runoff would
manage peak flows. The threat of flooding is eliminated
by existing detention measures upstream, therefore
facilitating the reclamation and both physical and
cultural transformation of the highly channelized ditch
into a terraced multifunctional landscape supporting
native prairie plants providing bio-filtration and
pollinator habitat, as well as new recreational amenities
including ice skating in the winter and swimming in
the summer.
PROJECT CONTEXT: WATERSHED ANALYSIS

ENGINEERED WATERSHED
1. Detention Basin for Flood Control
2. Buried Creek
3. Decorative Creek (Engineering Quad UIUC)
3. Channelized Creek

FLOOD CONTROL WATER QUALITY CONTROL

the UIUC Campus. Despite effectively eliminating
Boneyard Creek drains an urbanized watershed of
recurrent flooding along the banks of the creek,
approximately 7.45 sq. miles that flows, in up-stream
the problem of poor water quality persists. The
to downstream order, through the city of Champaign,
Boneyard Creek makes the EPA’s 303d list of impaired
the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-
waterways, and receives much of its base flow from
Champaign, and the city of Urbana, Illinois. Over the
urban runoff laden with nutrients, sediment, heavy
past several decades, several detention ponds have
metals, hydrocarbons and other pollutants.
been constructed upstream of Campus Town and
1
 CAMPUS SITE ANALYSIS AND DESIGN STRATEGIES
green roofs (0.13 sqmi) green roofs (0.13 sqmi) water direction grass and trees(0.27sqmi)
parking spaces (0.13sqmi) grass and trees(0.27sqm
13Irrigated
sqmi) area (0.36 sqmi) parking spaces (0.13sqmi) street (0.09 sqmi) rain gardens/ native
Irrigated area (0.36 sqmi) Goal: 100% green parking rain gardens/ native
0.36 sqmi)locations
Cistern Goal: 100% green parking drain pipe vegetation (0.21sqmi)
Cistern locations vegetation (0.21sqmi)
ns Green roofs/ 100% of
Goal: N Removal: 2% Goal: Green roofs/ 100% of
Goal: 60% green street, Goal: 40% of lawn becomes 2%
N Removal:
Goal: 40% of lawn becom
s/
uad 100% of by rain
irrigated 60% permeable pave native
quad irrigated by rain native
rain
N Removal: 8% Peak flow reduction: 7.4% N Removal: 20.7% N Removal: 8% Peak flow reduction: 7.4% N Removal: 8%
N Removal: 8%

eak flow reduction: 16.7% Peak flow reduction: 11.6% Peak flow reduction: 36% Peak flow reduction: 36%
Peak flow reduction: 16.7%
on: 16.7%

OVERALL PLAN In order to measure the potential effectiveness of the

This design transforms the campus through the
implementation of green infrastructure to mitigate
storm water before it reaches the Boneyard Creek.
Currently, there are only two rain gardens installed
on campus, and there is no storm water management
strategy included as part of the campus master plan
even though a majority of storm water drains directly
into the creek. These existing conditions and the
reliance on conventional storm water infrastructure
creates flooding issues on campus and contributes to
low water quality in the creek.
The Boneyard Creek is the focus of the design, however
this is supported by a larger planning and design
framework that seeks to develop a campus landscape
network capable of managing storm water more
effectively before it reaches the edge of the creek. Four
typologies were developed to support these objectives
including: green streets, roof catchments, bioswale
parking treatments, and rain gardens. The application
of these typologies upon the campus landscape will
create a significant impact leading to a 60% increase in
impermeable street surfaces as well as the conversion
of 40% of all lawns to native prairie landscapes and rain
gardens.
2
proposed green infrastructure, the rational method
and the EPA Storm Water Management Model was used
to calculate peak flow for the 2-year, 24-hour storm. In
addition, NCRS was used as the method to determine
total reduction in runoff volume. Furthermore, a
literature review provided the methodology for
measuring nitrogen sequestration and total suspended
solids (Martin et. Al, 2010).
The proposed implementation results in the conversion
of 34 acres of streets to green streets, with 36 acres
of all pavement types becoming permeable. The
calculations estimated that this will remove 20.7% more
nitrogen and retain 11.6% more water at peak flow.
Through the addition of 83.2 acres of green rooftops,
the levels of nitrogen were reduced by 8% with an
increased retention rate of 16.7% during peak flow. The
proposed 83 acres of parking lot bioswale treatments
would remove 2% of nitrogen and manage 7.4% more
water volume at peak flow. In addition, cisterns would
collect excess water and may be used to irrigate 230
acres for up to 4 months. Lastly, the conversion of
40% of the lawn surfaces to prairie plantings and rain
gardens would result in the increased sequestration of
8% of nitrogen along with a 36% reduction in surface
runoff during peak flow.
 MODELING CONDITIONS: SWMM AND RAIN GARDEN EFFECTIVENESS
parking spaces (0.13sqmi) grass and trees(0.27sqmi)
Goal: 100% green parking rain gardens/ native
N Removal: 2% vegetation (0.21sqmi)
Goal: 40% of lawn becomes
Peak flow reduction: 7.4% native
N Removal: 8%

Peak flow reduction: 36%

LEARNING BY SWMMING
The goal of this study was to learn how green for future LIDs. The model uses a typical 2-year, 24-
infrastructure, namely rain gardens, could accom- hour storm in Champaign, IL and the calculation is
modate flooding issues on campus as opposed to distributed by the Huff Method.
conventional storm water systems. The proposed rain
gardens are designed with native prairie soils and are The results show that the total runoff from the
connected to existing sewer infrastructure in the case identified Quad sub-watershed that reaches the
of overflow. Typically, the rain gardens will allow the Boneyard Creek is 91,173 cubic feet. Implementation
runoff and rain water to infiltrate the different layers of the recommended rain gardens would reduce
of soil slowly effectively retaining and cleaning the 35.4% of this (32,256 cubic feet) from ever entering
water while mimicking the pre-settlement landscape the Boneyard. In addition, the rain gardens are
function. more effective when in more intense rainfall events,
successfully reducing higher volumes of water from
The EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) entering the Creek. Therefore, the rain gardens
was used to analyze the effectiveness of rain gardens in would be effective at treating and retaining more
reducing surface runoff from the Main Quad. The Main water during storm events.
Quad was selected as a modeling site because of its
central campus location, flooding issues and potential

3
CAMPUS-CREEK INTERFACE: A NEW EDGE CONDITION

Bumble Bee

Aster Solidago Asclepias Rosa Echinacea Rudbeckia Gentiana Lobelia

macrophyllus rigida incarnata canina purpurea hirta verna siphilitica

Carpenter Bee

Ceanothus Chasmanthium Cimicifuga Glyceria Ilex Cephalanthus Spiraea Aronia

americanus latifolium racemosa striata verticillata occidentalis alba melanocarpa
Sulphur Butterfly

Moth

Carex Cinna Aquilegia Calamagrostis Carex

jamesii arundinacea canadensis canadensis stipata
Beetle

Hummingbird

Dry Mesic Mesic Wet Mesic Wet

hive of bees
1 87
workers
15000
square footage coverage
x5
species of pollinators

EDGE ECOLOGY: FROM SHEET PILES TO

POLLINATOR TERRACES
The terrace plant palette was selected to support local these species through the use of a series of pollination
pollinating species. University of Illinois professor May syndromes, including: color, odor, nectar, pollen, and
Berenbaum (Department of Entomology), was recently flower shape.
awarded the National Medal of Science in plant-insect
co-evolution, locally reinforcing the importance of The proposed planting plan specifically targets the
insects in the built environment. reintroduction of five pollinator species to campus
and the terraces will create an environment capable
Plant diversity within the campus environment is key of sustaining their populations thus supporting more
for pollinators to thrive, however typical planting diverse wildlife along the creek edge while providing
pallets found on campus are homogenous and include new and unique educational opportunities.
invasive species such as Kentucky bluegrass, Maples,
Yews, and Oaks. This lack of plant biodiversity reduces
the survival rate of native pollinators such as bees,
butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and birds. Therefore,
plants were carefully selected in order to accommodate

4
CAMPUS-CREEK INTERFACE: A NEW EDGE CONDITION

EDGE ECOLOGY: CAMPUS LIFE ON THE EDGE

With the threat of flooding eliminated through upstream
detention measures accommodating up to a 100-
year storm event, and water quality improved through
campus-wide green infrastructure, the perpendicular
steel walls of the former drainage ‘ditch’ give way to
a linear system of multifunctional terraces filled with
native prairie planting. These terraces will provide a
variety of services including habitat for pollinators, bio-
filtration, ecological education, and seasonal recreational
amenities serving as both a skating rink and swimming
hole.
The terraces will be fed by and filter surface runoff
from the surrounding campus. The terraces form a
series of horizontal and vertical planes mimicking
the function of a wet prairie, effectively treating
water before it enters the stream. In addition, the
terraces provide physical access to the water’s
edge as well as create a continuous pedestrian
pathway following the linear creek channel.

5
FUTURE VISION:
The Boneyard Creek as Bio-filtration Infrastructure, an Ecological Hotspot
and Recreational Corridor

The proposed vision for the Boneyard Creek unfolds

as a series of planned interventions, initiated by the
desire to combine existing stormwater systems with
new elements of green infrastructure. The synthesis
and coordination of these systems will produce a
campus landscape capable of enhanced ecological
performance while also supporting new recreational
and education programs.

satellite aerial: existing conditions

phase 1: CATALYST
Delineated as future open space by the 2007
campus master plan, this site serves as the basis
for creek-edge intervention. The edge of the creek
will be developed in a series of bio-filtering terraces
cleansing surface runoff as well as stormwater
discharge from local sub-watersheds. These terraces
will also support pedestrian circulation reorienting
the edge of the creek as a recreational and education
amenity allowing students, faculty and locals to
enjoy the space year round. 2007 Campus Master Plan: building construction map

+2 ACRES +permeable surface

6
phase 2: CONNECT
The campus master plan suggests the day-lighting of the
stretch of creek buried between Mathews and Goodwin
Avenues. While also creating new space for bio-filtration,
recovering this site will develop an existing circulation void,
vital for uninterrupted pedestrian access along the creek
completing the connection from the Engineering Quad to the
eastern portion of campus and towards Urbana.

phase 3: FILTER
Whereas Phase 1 addresses runoff contamination from
within the local sub-watershed, Phase 2 focuses on
upstream pollutants already present in the water including
E. coli bacteria. A three-tier terraced system utilizing
phytoremediation will be implemented over a half-mile
stretch of the Creek reaching from the Healey St. Detention
Basin to the Engineering Quad. 80% of this stretch will require
day-lighting, successfully reorienting the space for enhanced
ecological, educational and recreational performance. Each
level of the terrace system will correspond to a distinct native
wet habitat including: 1) wet meadow , 2)shallow marsh , and
3) deep marsh. Water levels will be managed by a series of
dams, with the first terrace being fed by a controlled water
pump from the Healey basin. The water will be cleansed as
it filters through the soil and gravel bed to pipes leading to
the next terrace before re-entering the normal stream flow at
the Engineering Quad. In addition, overflows at the dams will
provide additional filtration through aeration.

phase 4: PROGRAM
As a result of the newly implemented green infrastructure
and bio filtration marsh upstream, improved water quality
in the creek supports new programmatic elements including
the development of a swimming hole. A dam on the eastern
edge of the Engineering Quad will manage water depth as
well as water quality of the pool facilitating new recreational
use of the space.

phase 5: EXTEND
As a linear system, the Boneyard has the potential to continue
beyond campus and establish itself as a more comprehensive
ecological engine and pedestrian connection. By continuing
the implementation along the creek edge eastward into
Urbana, the Boneyard will effectively link campus with the
community as a recreational amenity while providing vital
ecological services.

7
 Champaign-Urbana Storm Credit Design Improvement
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Private detention basin Runoff rate reduction Runoff volume Runoff water quality Direct discharge Education Total
Detention Stormwater reduction
Permeable pavement, Green roof, Stormgauge. outdoor
basins rate reduction Cistern, Green roof,
Bioswale, Rain garden classroom, nature
devices Bioswale, Rain
engagement
garden
Urbana Design Urbana Current Champaign Design Champaign Current

Charts: University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign’s increase in credits will be received from

the city of Urbana and Champaign. after the design implementation. Many stormwater crite-
ria exceed the maximum requirement, thus recieve full credits.

PROFITS FROM GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
The University of Illinois is divided between the
two cities of Champaign and Urbana. Each city
charges a stormwater utility fee based on the
total impervious area located in each respective
city. These stormwater utility fees are meant to
compensate Champaign and Urbana for conveying
stormwater from University property.
There are credits and incentives available to the
university in order to reduce its bills from both
Champaign and Urbana. The potential credits
and incentives can only reduce the total bill by
50% in both Champaign and Urbana. The chart
above illustrates different ways that the university
can reduce its stormwater utility bills. Each credit or
incentive opportunity has a potential credit limit. For
example in Urbana, a runoff rate reduction can receive
a 15% maximum credit. In addition, the university may
mix and match credit incentive methods, but cannot
reduce its total bill by more than 50%.
If the University were to implement low impact design
(LID) and take full advantage of the stormwater credits
and incentives, it could save $35,012 per year (see
the calculations section below) in stormwater fees.
The suggested conventional development designs
are expected to cost the University $1.93 million for
Matthews Avenue improvements, $739,000 for Main
Quad improvements, and $452,000 for stormwater
8
$35,102
per year
reduced stormwater fee to cities
conventional
Cost $ 3,121,000
Quad area only; de-
sign fees not included
Benefits - Stormwater fee
- flood prevention
infiltration/filtration BMP’s: $3,121,000 in total (2011-
1215 Matthews-Quad Final Report). These costs do
not include design, administrative, or construction-
phase engineering costs, and provide no additional
benefits to the University other than flood control.
Our proposed LID methods are more cost-effective
than the conventional designs proposed because
they provide additional benefits to the community in
addition to flood control along with the $35,012 yearly
savings. Such positive externalities include better
bike access, enhanced pedestrian safety, increased
property values, beautification, wildlife habitat, and
potential recreation services. A 2013 willingness to pay
(WTP) experiment surveyed 131 randomized families
in the Champaign-Urbana community, and showed
that the community highly values LID; “widespread
investment in LID stormwater solutions could have
very large total benefits, and stormwater managers
should be wary of policies and infrastructure plans
that reduce flooding at the expense of water quality
and aquatic habitat” (Cadavid & Ando, 2013).
proposed
~$ 3,000,000
Quad area only; de-
sign fees not included
- stormwater fee
- bike/pedestrians safety
- native habitat
- potential recreations
- landscape beauty
- flood prevention
A similar stormwater abatement project in Seattle
transformed 30 city blocks as a part of a large infill
development with natural drainage controls, and
found that housing prices were 5.5% higher in the
project areas than for similar houses in the same
neighborhood (Ward 2008). Adjacent residential
communities are primarily rental due to rhe more
transient student population, so the housing price
may not be applicable. However, it would be possible
to gauge the value of the LID project in terms of rental
prices and rental revenues from local businesses
in the vicinity of the improvements compared to
businesses not in the vicinity of the improvements.
This method would be more appropriate, since there
are several apartment complexes on-campus where
students rent apartments, in addition to several small
businesses on campus.
9
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